These types of kick-down elements are, in themselves, known. They are used in vehicles with automatic transmission to send a haptic signal to the driver's foot via a force step as soon as the accelerator pedal reaches or exceeds the pedal's kick-down position when the driver actuates the pedal sensor. This kick-down element does not boast any electrical functions and also does not have any direct influence on the transmission. The transmission switching function is controlled by other electrical/electronic components in the pedal sensor.
For certain applications, the kick-down element must exhibit a long excess path. This means that after the force step, a relatively long pedal path (travel path) is enabled in the full throttle direction. To achieve this, a relatively long travel path must be enabled for the actuator in the housing.
EP 1 917 153 B shows a kick-down element housed in the lever arm of a pedal. The equipment includes an actuator housed in a notch of the pedal such that it can be moved. The actuator contains a wedge that is pre-tensioned by a spring and interacts with the actuator through the rollers. Rollers on one side are housed in the transverse grooves of the pedal and on the other side in radial clearance holes inset in the actuator panels. When the actuator is enabled, the rollers are pressed out of the transverse grooves and against the wedge surface, which generates the desired force step. The actuator only allows for a short travel path within the notch.